The Swan Princess
by TinaK.Number1
Summary: Aeris, Princess of the Cetra and Cloud, Prince of Nibelheim have been betrothed since they were young, with neither being happy about it. As they grow up they begin to realise their true feelings for each other. But evil surrounds them! Based on movie Swa
1. Prologue

_**The Swan Princess**_

Summary: Prince Cloud and Princess Aeris have been betrothed since they were young. Neither are happy about it. However, as they grow up, they start to discover their true feelings for each other, but evil lurks around the corner.

_Prologue_

Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of the Cetra, a kind, caring King called Gast ruled over the lands. His wife, Queen Ilfana, was down the corridor in the hospital wing of the castle. The King sighed as he held his head in his hand, thinking over the situation.

He had been married to Ilfana for almost five years but they had not yet had a child and he was worried as he was growing old and needed an heir soon.

"Your Majesty?"

He looked up at the sound of a soft voice, smiling a little as the nurse walked towards him. She managed a small upturn of her lips before she handed him a small bundle wrapped in a pink cloth.

"You have a daughter," She said. Gast looked down at the baby, smiling at his baby girl.

"Your Majesty, your wife, the Queen…" She began before stopping, hating the fact she had to deliver ill news.

"She was bleeding heavily, we couldn't save her."

The King closed his eyes, willing the tears not to fall as his brain processed the news. He unconsciously clutched his daughter closer to him, looking down at her once more.

"I shall name her Aeris. That's the name Ilfana wanted if we had a girl." He stated. The nurse nodded, taking the hint that she was dismissed.

Now only the King and his daughter stood in the silent corridors.

* * *

Two months later, Gast held a baby shower for his daughter, allowing everyone to welcome the new Princess. Among the guests, were the Queen of Nibelheim and her son, Cloud.

As he watched the little blond Prince walk up the carpet towards Aeris' cradle, an idea hit him. He made his way over to Molly Strife, who greeted him with a friendly smile.

"She is a very pretty girl." The Nibelheim Queen complemented. "She has her mother's eyes."

"Yes, she is beautiful." Gast smiled before he cleared his throat. "Molly, I have an idea which I hope you will agree to."

"What kind of idea?" She asked.

"Aeris has got to marry someday in order to have an heir to the Kingdom and I thought maybe she could…"

"Marry Cloud and unite our Kingdoms?" Molly finished with a warm smile. Gast nodded.

"Of course. I think it's a great idea!" She cried. Gast grinned.

So it was decided that, starting on the year of her forth birthday, Aeris and Cloud would meet every summer in the hopes that they would fall in love and unite their Kingdoms.

* * *

The door to the basement slammed shut as a greasy-haired man stomped in. In his anger, he smashed the glasses on the wooden table in front of him. No sooner had the glasses smashed against the door then the door smashed open, revealing a dozen guards.

"Hojo! You are under arrest for treason and plotting against the King!" The leader cried. The man sneered at them at first but realised that he couldn't win, even with his magic skills. He watched helplessly as the guards who weren't holding him, smashed all of his things.

The things he needed to take Gast's kingdom for his own!

* * *

Gast exiled the man from the Kingdom, instead of killing him. Hojo snarled as he pushed the two guards out of his way.

"This isn't the end Gast!" He warned. "One day, everything you own, everything you love, will be mine!"

Gast paid no attention to the words and pointed a stern finger in the direction behind the scientist. Hojo glared but eventually turned away.

Many had thought that the King had been too kind but as the years passed, the threat was forgotten. The whole Kingdom now looked to that not to distant summer, when Aeris and Cloud would meet.

* * *


	2. Hate at First Sight

**The Swan Princess**

**Chapter One: Hate at First Sight**

* * *

The City of the Cetra, capital of the Cetra Kingdom, glistened in the early morning sunlight as it rose from behind the mountains that surrounded the beautiful, ancient town.

Of all the buildings, however, the palace was the most outstanding. It's tall turrets could be seen for miles and it seemed as though it were made of crystals the way it shone so brightly.

In the gardens, a young girl of about four was sitting on the soft grass, her hands dipped in the cool water of a fountain. Her chestnut hair already reached past her waist and was tied in a high ponytail that was held by a pink ribbon. Her green eyes were full of contentment as the cool water soothed her warm body as it lay in the summer sun.

"Aeris"

Her father's voice directed the young Princess' attention from the fountain in the gardens to where he was exiting the palace.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, looking her up and down. Aeris nodded obediently and followed her father. She did not want to go travelling across the world to meet with a Prince that her father had explained would be her husband someday.

She was totally against it and had no desire to ever fall in love with anyone other that who she wanted to, no matter if it pleased her father or not. In her storybooks, all the Princesses found true love by themselves and nobody stopped them. As far as Aeris could see, so long as she had to meet with Cloud every summer, she would never have the chance to find hers.

"Onto the boat then Aeris," her father ushered, gently pushing his daughter onto the boat.

As soon as she stepped on the wooden decking, she sighed and leaned her head on her arms as she stared out at the ocean and her disappearing homeland.

* * *

In the watchtower in the country of Nibelheim, a brunette man was drumming his fingers in a bored manner as he glanced around the Kingdom for a sign of Princess Aeris and King Gast. He immediately straightened as he saw Gast's horse approaching. He reached for the trumpet next to him, giving a harsh blow to alert Queen Molly and Prince Cloud of their presence.

Molly squealed as the trumpet sounded and Gast's horse came into view from the forest, Aeris sitting quietly in front of him. The Queen of Nibelheim bowed respectively as Gast dismounted, lifting Aeris off by her shoulders, and placing her on the ground.

"Welcome to our Kingdom King Gast," she smiled warmly. "And welcome to you young Princess"

"And this handsome young man must be young Cloud," Gast commented at the young Prince who was scowling at the ground. Molly laughed nervously and kneeled down next to her son.

"Cloud," she hissed dangerously, pushing him forwards. He looked up at her with wide eyes, silently begging her.

"Go!" she pointed as Gast urged Aeris forward.

"Hello Princess Aeris, I'm very pleased to meet you." Cloud muttered in monotone, not even looking at her. Aeris, however, was polite enough to curtsy.

"It's nice to meet you, Prince Cloud." she answered, watching Cloud walk back to his mother.

"Ah ah ah, aren't you forgetting something?" Molly asked teasingly. Cloud opened his mouth to argue but at the look in his mother's eyes, he turned and walked back to the Princess.

With a look of disgust he raised her hand and kissed the top of it, immediately letting go as soon as he had finished. Aeris jerked her hand away and wiped it on her dress, glaring at the Prince.

'I can't believe I'm stuck with her all summer!' Cloud thought in annoyance, folding his arms and sticking his tongue out at the Princess.

Aeris glanced up at her father, silently pleading for him to take her home. As far as she could tell, this summer was not going to be very fun. Cloud did not look like one of those boys who played with dolls.

"Well, come on in. I'm sure that Cloud and Aeris will get along perfectly." Molly grinned, leading them inside. At the words, the two looked at each other with hateful glares and immediately only one thought went through their minds. Their ambition was to make life hell for the other.

The war between them started almost instantly from the moment Aeris entered the palace. It had started as an accident when she had knocked her juice across the table and it had landed on Cloud. In payback, the Prince had tipped cream on her head. It was a fitting punishment in his eyes.  
Not a day went by without the children fighting physically or verbally and neither looked ready to give up.

Gast and Molly were totally oblivious to the youngster's aggression towards each other and thought they were a match made in heaven. Molly had even commented on how well the children got along. Of course, behind her back Aeris was tripping Cloud up and letting him roll down the stairs with a loud thump.

The only feelings between the two as Aeris returned to her Kingdom was relief from getting away from each other at last, and the dread of the next summer.

* * *


	3. Melted Hearts

_**The Swan Princess**_

**_Chapter Two: Melted Hearts_**

* * *

For years, King Gast and Queen Molly continued to have Aeris and Cloud meet though they knew that they hated each other they were sure that one day, if they sat down and talked, they would fall in love eventually. However, the Kingdoms of both heirs were not holding their breath for they wished the same as their leaders. It was obvious to everyone that Aeris and Cloud would disagree about almost everything except that the very thought of summertime was dreaded. Now, as the youngsters reached their teenage years, both Kingdoms waited to see what would happen.

It was hardly a surprise when Aeris boarded the ship and kept away from everyone else, she had always been against her arranged marriage, and, the longer the arrangement went on for, the more withdrawn she became.

"Aeris?" her father addressed her as she leaned over the banister and stared at the ocean, mesmerised by the dolphins swimming beneath the surface and occasionally doing flips by the side of the ship.

At her father's voice, she turned her head to show her matured, heart-shaped face and her emerald eyes sparkling with youth. She had began tying her hair back into braids with a pink ribbon, for it was far too long to leave down all the time but there was always the few strands that escaped and fell around her face.

She managed a small smile at her father before turning back to the water below her. She didn't have to be a mind-reader to know what he was about to say to her, it was the same every summer.

"I don't understand why you won't give Cloud a chance," he began with a sigh.

The Princess frowned. She could not understand how he had the right to be upset when it she was the one who was being forced into a marriage with a man she did not want. She gave a sharp exhale of breath, the force sending her side fringe fluttering up as she moved off the railings and turned to walk away, her pink dress fluttering gently in the breeze.

"Aeris please don't walk away!" the King begged with a tedious tone as he looked up at her. The brunette whirled around, her eyes blazing in anger.

"Why do you not give me my own choice of marriage? I don't want to marry Cloud!" she yelled, ignoring the way the sailors turned their gaze towards them curiously.

She folded her arms over her chest and turned her head away, a frown still on her face. Gast rubbed his forehead roughly before finally standing away from the banister and stepping towards her, taking her hands in his.

"Cloud, is a good man Aeris. He really is, even if he does not act like it around you. However, did you ever think that you are merging your hate of the marriage with your hate for each other? Perhaps, you do not hate each other at all but the idea that you couldn't find each other on your own."

The girl remained silent, her face still turned slightly to the side, avoiding his gaze. However, Gast knew that she was thinking his words over and he gave a small smile, moving a hand to brush the hair from her face. She glanced at him then, their eyes locking for a few seconds.

"At least try and get along…please?" he pleaded.

She moved her lips to the side as she glanced at the floor before she gave a slow nod and a sigh. Gast's smile grew slightly and he whispered a thank you before walking away.

* * *

Molly gave an agitated sigh as she entered the room to see Cloud and his best friend Zack playing video games. The Prince was not even nearly presentable enough for Gast and Aerith's arrival. She clicked her tongue and folded her arms across her body as she kicked the door shut, the slam causing the boys to look up.

"Why aren't you ready yet?" she hissed, her eyes narrowing.

Cloud just shrugged his shoulders before turning back to the screen, pressing the buttons repeatedly with building frustration. Zack cast a nervous glance around before placing his controller down and standing up. He bowed politely to the Queen before hurrying out of the room, leaving a scowling Cloud behind.

"Aeris is going to be here in less than an hour! Make yourself presentable!"

"Mum, I can do so much better than her, I'm sure!"

"Enough!" she interrupted, her tone showing she was not going to stand for his whining or arguing. She shut the door and Cloud slammed his controller down on the ground and gave a long growl of annoyance as he started laying his clothes out on the bed for him to meet the Princess.

* * *

Aeris looked up blankly as the turrets reached her view and gave a longing sigh at the realisation that she was here for yet another summer. Now that she thought about it, she thought it would be highly unlikely for Cloud and herself to ever be released from this torturous arrangement unless they fell for each other. That brought her thoughts back to earlier on when she had promised her father that she would at least attempt to get along with Cloud.

She scowled softly at this thought as she accepted her father's hand, stepped out of the carriage, and made her way up the large white marble steps that led to the oak doors of Cloud's castle. She did not even have to look up to know where everything was, having spent almost half of her life here. However, one thing was different and that was the fact that her father was leading her to the large dining hall instead of the gardens where the two usually greeted each other.

"Dad," she sighed, causing him to glance at her.

"What is it sweetheart?"

"I can't keep your promise,"

"What do you mean?"

"Cloud is so immature!" she cried but Gast just gave a small chuckle before he gently pushed her inside the room.

She blinked as she processed what he had just done and turned to yell at him, only for him to shut the door in her face. The silence meant she could hear the lock being picked and she huffed, folding her arms in annoyance, her back to the opposite door that she could just hear opening. Knowing it would be Cloud, she prepared herself for the insults…, but none came.

Curious, she turned her head to see Cloud staring at her. His eyes were wide as they fixed upon her face, causing her to blush faintly and turn her eyes to the floor. Still, he did nothing but stare and though she was flattered, the Princess was getting annoyed.

"Stop staring!" she muttered, her eyes still lowered.

The Prince blinked as if only just realising what he was doing and he was soon blushing like her. Neither of them noticed the way Molly was standing on the top balcony practically squealing with joy with Gast beside her, reminding her they couldn't be caught. Nor did they see the way Zack was peeking through the windows with a small frown on his face.

"Sorry, I…I…" Cloud stammered, the blush intensifying and Aeris had to resist the urge to laugh. She quite liked this new side to Cloud, not the Cloud who had tried so hard to be so much like his best friend. She guessed that this was what her father had meant about Cloud being a decent person, Molly must have wrote to him to say how he had become more himself lately.

"Would you…like to go for a walk?" she asked softly, tilting her head to the side and kneeling so that she could see into his lowered eyes.

The blonde blushed again as he looked up with wide eyes before he glanced around and gave the slightest of nods.

And so, the courting of the two young heirs began.

* * *


End file.
